Book review: The politics of humanity: the reality of relief aid

As UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs from 2007 until 2010, John Holmes visited some of the most troubled areas of the world and was exposed to the harsh realities of humanitarian aid. Frequently he found that the UN’s humanitarian programmes were consistently undermined and mistrusted by both sides in any conflict. Refreshingly free of the obfuscating jargon favoured by many in the humanitarian sector, the essence of The Politics of Humanity is a reaffirmation of humanitarian principles and a warning about the consequences of their betrayal, writes Chris Harmer.